When I realized I had completely forgotten about Halloween, I was teetering amidst olive branches atop a precariously placed ladder, kilometers from the nearest wifi station, and (most importantly) preparing to climb down to a leisurely, pecorino-cheese and Chianti filled lunch on the terrace of a Tuscan farmhouse.
I was harvesting olives to be pressed into fresh oil at a friend’s agriturismo in Tuscany, when it struck me that it was October 31st, and I probably should have prepared a post for the occasion. Somewhere amidst those rolling golden hills and copious red wine, my bloggerly duties, and Halloween in particular, had faded into a distant and insignificant background.
I pulled myself from that Tuscan stupor and closed my eyes to really visualize the holiday. I remembered dressing up as the tin-man, or a princess, or a superhero. I remembered my parents, who not only laughed at their children’s outfits, but would also put on embarrassing costumes for various parties to which we were not invited. I remembered the excitement of knocking on a strange door after dark, and the sound of my own hot breath echoing, Darth-Vader-like, inside my monster mask. I remembered the faces of neighbors and strangers, who opened to our knocking, and laughingly filled our eager bags with sickening amounts of candy.
I opened my eyes just in time to grasp a sturdy limb and regain my balance, saving myself from a certainly-deadly 3-foot fall. Still grinning mischievously over playful Halloween memories, I pressed my face into the leaves and whispered “Trick or treat!” before dropping another greedy handful of plump olives into my basket, and climbing down to join my friends for lunch.
So, better late than never, here are a few great Halloween recipes for any age, or any country.
Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Brown Butter Icing
Salted Caramel Brownies
Peanut Butter Cups for Halloween
Spicy Nutella and Pequin Pepper Truffles
